Bushwood is an area in the north of

Leytonstone Leytonstone () is an area in east London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local authority district of Greater London. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, S ...

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

; determined by the curved boundary of the road called ''Bushwood'' along the edge of

Wanstead Flats Wanstead Flats is the southernmost portion of Epping Forest, in Leytonstone and Wanstead, London. The flats and by extension the forest ends at Forest Gate directly to the south. It now falls wholly within the boundaries of the London Boroughs ...

, ''Lister Road'' to the south and ''High Road, Leytonstone'' to the west. The area has the ''Browning Road Conservation Area'', that contains what remains of the historic

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Leyton-atte-stone. The area has many tree-lined streets with Victorian and Edwardian houses, which continue to attract professionals and young families. The area is popular for its proximity to

and

Wanstead Park Wanstead Park is a municipal park covering an area of about 140 acres (57 hectares), in Wanstead, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is also a district of the London Borough of Redbridge, which was in Essex until 1965. It is administered as p ...

, quick access to restaurants, cafés and shops, and transport links into central London via the Central Line. Bushwood has a residents' association, covering the approximately 1500 houses in the area.

History

It is named after the ancient woodland of ''Bush Wood'', which creates part of the north-east border of the area.

Notable features

Browning Road Conservation Area

Bushwood includes The Browning Road

Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

consists of terraces of ‘Georgian’ cottages. These were preserved as a reminder of their special historic and architectural interest by Waltham Forest Council in March 1973.

The North Star

The North Star Public House is situated on Browning Road in the heart of the Conservation Area. Originally two cottages converted into a Public House it is thought that the name of this establishment comes as a direct result of a sailing voyage taken by the founder of the North Star, Frederick Wildsmith which involved his returning from India with a monkey and so fond was he of this memory, he decided to name the pub after the twin-masted, 253 ton Brigantine in which he had travelled. The North Star's first mention is in the 1858 Rate book with Frederick listed as a ‘beer retailer’ in the 1891 census.

Victorian keystones

Many Victorian houses in Bushwood have decorative keystones above their entrances in the form of faces. Mainly found in Leyspring, Leybourne, Barclay and Woodville Roads, the use of these elements was influenced by the

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

introduced by

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

in the early Victorian period (mid 1800s).

Henry Reynolds Park

At the northernmost part of Bushwood, is Henry Reynolds Park which includes a playground for children of all ages and basketball shooting practice area. Originally a gravel pit that became Green Man Pond; it was drained in the 1970s to form the present day park with its sunken gardens.

Leytonstone Mosque

Bushwood is the location of

Leytonstone Mosque Leytonstone Mosque, situated in Bushwood, Leytonstone, in the London borough of Waltham Forest, was opened in 1976 to cater to the local Muslim community. Since then, the mosque has grown in size and can accommodate about 1,000 (men only). The ...

Ferndale area

Ferndale is an area of streets that adjoins the south of Bushwood; covering Davies Lane, Cotton Close, Ferndale Road, Malvern Road and Montague Road. While not formally part of ''Bushwood'', ''Ferndale'' has a similar mix of housing and gentrification. It also has a residents' association for the area, modelled on the sister Bushwood association.

Gallery

File:Leaf Man in Grove Road, Bushwood Area of Leytonstone.jpg, Sculpture by Stephen Duncan in Bushwood area of Leytonstone File:Bushwood Area 3.jpg, Row of Victorian houses in Bushwood area of Leytonstone

References

{{coords, 51.5679, 0.0147, display=title Areas of London Leytonstone Districts of the London Borough of Waltham Forest Common land in London